No/low fat diet

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nikiwoofter
nikiwoofter Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am a 40 yr old female. i have stomach digestion issues which sent me to a specialist: symptoms: bloating, full feeling, nausea, severe heartburn, pain. His suggestion: change diet and eat little or no fat. At his suggestions, I went on a liquid diet for one week to allow my stomach to empty and "reset" eating only green smoothies. I did not consider caloric intake during that week but ate kale or spinach smoothies w/ skim milk, banana and other fruits 3 times a day and protein. Now i am on 2 smoothies a day and one meal consisting of low fat choices such as chicken or pork or cod. I am on week 3 of this new diet and have experienced some relief of symptoms...only some.

I have since started using MFP for tracking caloric and fat intake and realized i was getting approx.600- 800 calories...esp. while i was on the strictly liquid diet. In the past 2 weeks i have been working hard to get in 1200-1400 calories a day on this 2 smoothies and one meal and snack diet.

I have taken measurements and have not had any loss in sizes and wonder if i am still in starvation mode? How can u tell if u have done this to yourself? I really struggle to get in enough calories. i am eating no more than 20 grams of fat a day. I usually go over the suggested carb intake per MFP. And i am under in protein intake by approx. 1/2 since i can't eat much meat. I do add protein to shakes and use skim milk but i guess i need to add more than just one serving of protein in to the smoothies to up the protein intake. That would also allow me to get more calories in each smoothie solving the calorie issue as doubling the protein serving in each smoothie would add an add'l 100 calories.

I really do not know what an acceptable fat intake would be for someone who should be eating a low fat diet. I also do not know what having too many carbs in my diet does to weight loss along w/ too few protein as outlined in the MFP suggested numbers. I did cut the fat suggestions in half from what MFP suggested. Any thoughts or comments? P.S. this low fat diet will be a life time change in order to manage stomach issues.

Replies

  • louis1923
    louis1923 Posts: 1 Member
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    I just started reading a great book by Jillian Michaels called Master your Metabolism. It sounds like you need to up your calories - with more protein and whole grains. Low fat diets do not work. Check out the book.
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
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    Maybe carb up on beans, lentils for filler calories.
  • florymonde
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member
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    Is this supposed to be a temporary thing or a long-term diet? I would have a really hard time going that low-fat. Are you on supplements for your necessary fat-based nutrients? (Like vitamin E and omega-3s and omega-6s.)

    More protein in the smoothies would be a good place to start. How 'bout egg whites? Lots of egg whites? :)

    Maybe you can ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist if this is supposed to be long-term. Being so restrictive, professional help may be needed!

    Good luck, and I hope you're feeling better.
  • nikiwoofter
    nikiwoofter Posts: 8
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    the sad thing is i HAVE to be low fat. so if i am going to sacrifice like this I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOSE WEIGHT TOO! I do not know how to do both?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Unfortunately fatty foods are calorie dense, so cutting those out of your diet will cut out a lot of calories. You'll have to substitute with high calorie other foods - namely starches. Eat lots of protein too, but the high fat protein is usually rather fatty. If you doctor has recommended a no/low fat diet, it must be fairly common for medical reasons. I'd as for a recommendation for a nutritionist. The should be able to tell you what a healthy (and low) level of fat is, and how you should balance your other macronutrients. A nutritionist might have other opinions about why you are feeling that way (maybe you have a food allergy or something).
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    You need to talk to your doctor. If you're seeing a GP, you need a referral to a gastroenterologist, and possibly a nutritionist. Random suggestions from strangers on the internet do not address your specific problem and needs. I had a problem with my stomach a while ago, and there was a very specific diet I had to follow, prescribed by my gastroenterologist. Not all foods digest at the same rate, so there is probably a reason the doctor told you to eat the way he/she did. If you don't understand all the recommendations, call or go back until you do understand.

    This is a health issue for you, which should be addressed more urgently than your weight loss issue.
  • Shange_Gully
    Shange_Gully Posts: 106
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    ur hormones will suffer from eating low fat

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